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Diablo
The Angiris Council The Angiris Council is the ruling body of the High Heavens, formed to oppose the Great Evils of the Burning Hells. The Council comprises five Archangels, each of whom represents an aspect of Anu: Imperius the Archangel of Valour; Tyrael the Archangel of Justice; Auriel the Archangel of Hope; Itherael the Archangel of Fate; and Malthael the Archangel of Wisdom. Among these five, Malthael originally served as leader until abandoning his post. At that point Imperius assumed leadership. The five Angels of the Council have considerable fighting ability. Tyrael and Imperius are especially strong, but the others are no slouches. Make no mistake, one is already enough to be a One-Man Army, how much more will it be if all of them are present? As counterpoints to the various leaders of the Burning Hells. In the absence of God, they serve as the leaders of the High Heavens. And with God either dead or just not present in-setting (depends on your interpretation of Anu), they're effectively the government of the High Heavens. Most of the angels are far from benevolent and would probably be Lawful Neutral at best (indeed, the series is more about Order Versus Chaos than Good Versus Evil) The reason for Eternal Conflict is to contest of the ownership of the Worldstone, which will grant enough power to rule all creation (neither demons or angels can be permanently killed, only imprisoned or sent into remission). The angels were very adamant in winning it, even with all the destruction it left, so when the Nephalem saw it, they thought, what's the difference between them and the Demons of the Burning Hells, if all they want is to rule while leaving tons of destruction? Some Angels like Inarius and Tyrael end up questioning "Why are we even doing this anymore?", whereas some more Angels like Imperius and Malthael were all about "We must end the Eternal Conflict in our favor, no matter what!". Take a wild guess which ones are the antagonistic angels. They are entities made of pure light and harmonic energy (sound), born from a Crystal Arch of Light at the pinnacle of Heaven as a manifestation of its harmony. They appear as faceless Winged Humanoids; whose wings actually are Combat Tentacles made of energy. Their civilization has a very Crystal Spires and Togas vein to it. They have biological immortality, but can be killed in a fight (though the at least some have Resurrective Immortality). When an angel is truly deceased, the Arch will immediately create a new one of similar purpose to replace him. Because they are aspects of the ultimate Good, members of the Angiris Council can reform their bodies even if totally destroyed. Tyrael does so after the destruction of Arreat, though it takes him twenty years, and in III both Imperius and Auriel survive wounds that should be fatal. Tyrael, Archangel of Justice The Archangel of Justice and the closest thing the games have to a main good guy outside of the Nephalem. Despite, or because of, his standing as the Archangel of Justice, Tyrael has several times gone against the Council's decision to not interfere with the world of Sanctuary against the Great Evils. He is as a result something of a maverick within the Angiris Council. In particular, he and Imperius frequently butt heads over whether or not to aid humanity against the Burning Hells. He personally formed the Horadrim to combat the Prime Evils. Eventually, they, aided by Tyrael, succeeded and imprisoned the Prime Evils within their soulstones. He first appears in the second game where he attempts to prevent the Diablo-possessed Aidan in freeing Baal, but he is overwhelmed and imprisoned by both in after Marius sets Baal free. He is freed by the heroes of the second game however, and he subsequently aid them against Diablo from Pandemonium Fortress at the gates of Hell. In Lord of Destruction he is unable to aid against Baal, but after the Lord of Destruction's death he arrives to find the Worldstone corrupted and as such subsequently finds it necessary to destroy it with his sword. In the third game, Tyrael is called to task by Imperius for violating Heaven's non-interference policy. Convinced of the rightness of his actions, Tyrael refuses to submit to Imperius's judgement and instead chooses to become human and fall to Sanctuary, thereafter becoming a constant companion and ally to the Nephalem. He has his moments as a human. In Diablo III's Adventure Mode, Tyrael has yet to get used to certain basic things mortals have to do that angels don't, such as eating - one awfully common conversation he has with Lorath Nahr involves getting a stomachache from eating his entire daily ration in a single meal. Since Adventure Mode takes place after defeating Malthael, Tyrael's struggles become ironic as Tyrael is the Archangel of Wisdom, yet makes that mistake. El'druin, the Sword of Justice. He abandons the Angiris Council when Imperius forbids him from continuing to aid humanity. He's a noble warrior, but that doesn't stop him from brutally destroying evil with the business end of El'druin. Pretty much his main reason for breaking the "angels can't go to Sanctuary" law that the High Heavens have established, as well as why he voted to spare humanity from extinction when the Angiris Council were debating about whether to wipe them out or not. Subverted in that, until Uldyssian's sacrifice in The Sin War books he thought the exact opposite and was part of the Kill 'Em All camp. After the aforementioned sacrifice, however, he's had a dramatic change of heart. Tyrael was this for the original Angiris Council. He is the Archangel of Justice, who was generally the proactive one, willing to lead the others and get his hands dirty when Malthael was busy, screwing the rules if necessary. Notably, he's the one who has the largest presence in the series. His sword is imbued with holy energies. El'druin, the sword of justice, constantly blazes with holy energy. He is named for Tyr, the Norse God of Justice who sacrificed his hand to ensnare the fell wolf Fenrir. While giving up his wings and becoming mortal was probably the right move, it didn't bode well for Tristram: when Tyrael crashed to earth, his presence awoke the fury of the those killed unjustly, who rose as the ravenous undead attacking the town in Act I. According to the Book of Tyrael (which takes place after III), when Tyrael goes to his old home in the Courts of Justice he is attacked by visions of angels who died by Diablo's hand and they blame him for their deaths. Imperius, Archangel of Valor The Archangel of Valor and the effective leader of the Angiris Council. As such, he is essentially the ruler of the High Heavens. Imperius is noted to be the greatest warrior in creation and he has clashed with the Prime Evils several times. Despite his hatred of the demons, he refuses to help the humans of Sanctuary against them, as he believes the humans to be abominations that should be purged, as they were born of the union between an angel and a demon. Because of this, he frequently butts heads with Tyrael who wishes to aid the humans and interfere in the world of Sanctuary. Though his temper has gotten himself and others into trouble, Imperius greatly values the lives of his fellow angels and would never intentionally harm them, even if it meant protecting the universe (ex. Malthael). To Diablo, if the animated short "Wrath" and their duel in Diablo III are anything to go by. Whatever the humans' business are, being destroyed here and there by demons or fellow brethrens, he will not lend a hand, unless the hand is meant to be a purging hand (in which he'll happily oblige, but that hasn't been officially sanctioned yet by the whole council). Despite his arrogant and authoritarian nature, he cares deeply about his brother Tyrael. Unable to comprehend how he could abandon Heaven and him to fight for Humanity, and is shocked that Tyrael believes he'd ever try to have him killed. This also extends to the rest of the angels. Though he hates mankind with a burning passion, he would never harm his fellow angels to destroy them. He's also deeply saddened by Malthael's insanity, but can't bring himself to kill him, relying on the nephalem's aid to do so. Imperius was this for the original Angiris Council. He is the Archangel of Valor, who is the mightiest fighter and tactician, as well as the most hot-tempered and quick to judge... and unfortunately making him more prone to ruin even the angels' plans if his temper is touched. Information you collect in the High Heavens mentions he enjoys fighting and war. Storm of Light shows that a large part of his anger stems from the fact that deep down he knows that the Nephelam were the ones who stopped Diablo when he failed to do so. He doesn't want to admit it though. He is the Conflict Ball. He's constantly causing problems for his allies, due to his Hair-Trigger Temper and Leeroy Jenkins style of attacking. In Act V, he begrudgingly admits he doesn't have the heart to kill Malthael, his former leader, and guides the Nephalem to do so. However, he makes it clear that the Nephalem shouldn't expect open gratitude from him for doing so. Many angels are not fond of humans in general, but Imperius in particular stands out. He wanted Sanctuary destroyed due to the hand of demons in its creation, and he utterly despises the Nephalem, to the point that in Act IV of Diablo III, Tyrael has to tell him that Diablo is the enemy, not the Nephalem (who had, by this point, saved Auriel). This also applies to anyone and anything of demonic origin. Maybe because he's asking for it, but probably the sole reason anyone ever puts up with Imperius is because he commands the majority of the Angel forces by law. Otherwise... Tyrael called him out for not helping the innocents, Malthael still chose abstain for the vote for humanity's fate instead of voting for its destruction and has no qualms in attacking him and his forces in his madness in spite of their shared disgust to humanity, Itherael voting against him for humanity's survival, and Auriel not only does that, but shows disapproval when Imperius goes Leeroy Jenkins to kill Diablo out of sheer hatred in the Wrath video. And of course, his actions didn't endear him to the Nephalem one bit. Imperius isn't wrong when condemning Tyrael's meddling in Sanctuary. While Imperius is a racist and more than a bit of a jerk, Tyrael's action in creating the Soulstones and forming the Horadrim are what caused the plot of all three games, and ultimately resulted in the destruction of the Worldstone and the Prime Evils invading Sanctuary, almost seizing the aforementioned Worldstone to corrupt all of humanity to their side and win the war. Now, to Tyrael's defense, his plan only went to hell (pun intended) because he was betrayed by Izual (Who told the Prime Evils how they could corrupt the soulstones and use them to tap into the Worldstone) and Zoltun Kulle (who created the Black Soulstone, allowing the Prime Evils to survive the destruction of their Soulstones). But the point remains that Imperius isn't wrong in decrying Tyrael's going behind the council's back to meddle on Sanctuary, as those actions of his led to innumerable deaths. This even extends to Reaper Of Souls where Tyrael again going behind everyone's back to move the Black Soulstone out of Heaven made it that much easier for Malthael to swoop in and steal it. Also, attempting to punish Tyrael was more to show that Imperius is very much by-the-book, it was agreed on the first place after he lost the extermination vote that both Burning Hells and High Heavens will not intervene with anything about Sanctuary, even so far as having Mephisto signing with blood, and up until then, Imperius has been honoring that rule instead of ruining it and letting his racism destroy humanity by his own hands. Unfortunately, the demons had no intention of cleaving to the pact and secretly manipulated the rules so they could influence Sanctuary for them, and even then, Imperius still followed those rules, while Tyrael screwing the rules causes trouble, so it makes sense that such disastrous disobedience makes him mad. This happens in the animation "Wrath". Despite Tyrael's advice that they should have their troops regroup before advancing, Imperius decides to lead the angelic soldiers in a charge straight into Diablo's fortress. Suffice to say that the soldiers didn't last long, and Imperius found that Diablo wouldn't be beaten so easily. And in the same animation, the rest of the Angiris Council had clearly stated that Diablo is better off captured and imprisoned, they might have their ways and with Auriel's help, it's nearly possible. Then Diablo starts mouthing off about what Imperius could have feared, which caused Imperius to once again go off the handle and killed Diablo on the spot, ruining the plan and allowing Diablo to resurrect anyway. Another example would be when Diablo appears in front of the Diamond Gates and Imperius goes to fight him. That fight doesn't go so well, either. Fire seems to be his element. He wing-tentacles appear to be made of flames instead of blue light, his spear shoots fire and he incinerates hordes of demons a few times. Of the Angiris Council (especially in the order of introduction given in Wrath), he is the only one with a helmet instead of a hood, wings of fire instead of light, and a name that ends in an "s" instead of "l". The other angels have names following Judaism-Christianity naming convention. The -el at the end of the name comes from Hebrew and signifies devotion to Elohim (God), hence why the biblical archangels have names like Michael, Gabriel, Uriel, Raphael, etc. Interestingly, the last two letters of Imperius' name, -us, is commonly observed in Greco-Roman names. In the promotional animation "Wrath", Diablo encourages Imperius to kill him rather than let the latter's brethren hold him as prisoner (which the angel complies to). Furthermore, he taunts him by saying that his strength comes from his rage but he's afraid to let the other angels see this side of him. He is called the "greatest warrior in all of creation" by another angel. Being a master strategist and tactician, as well as the best fighter in all of Heaven. Auriel, Archangel of Hope The Archangel of Hope. Though not as proactive about it as Tyrael, she generally supports humanity, and suffuses all creation with the capacity to believe in a better future. Badass in Distress while being imprisoned by Rakanoth, the Lord of Despair She served as the primary mediator and The Heart for the Angiris Council's original Five-Man Band dynamic. Auriel is the Archangel of Hope, who keeps everyone else motivated and grounded in basic morality.The Heart Of the Angiris Council. Bonus points as the lore literally describes her as this. In fact, before Tyrael's encounter with Uldyssian, Auriel was already being reasonable in seeing the potential of humanity, voting against its extinction with Itherael coming up next (Though Tyrael was the one who saved the day). As the Archangel of Hope, her very presence emboldens the angels, and can even lift the spirits of those on Sanctuary once freed from Rakanoth. She's the living embodiment of hope itself. Probably the only member of the council who could be considered outright nice (even Tyrael is more of a Good Is Not Nice type) One of the few genuinely nice angels, who offers support and encouragement to the Nephalem in Act IV. Though no slouch in combat herself, Auriel's greatest benefit to the forces of good, both human and angelic, is to inspire them all to fight on even against what seems to be impossible odds. Malthael, Archangel of Wisdom/Death The former Archangel of Wisdom (referred to as the Archangel of Death in the Sin War Trilogy) and leader of the Angiris Council. Following the events of Diablo II, he was driven mad by the Worldstone's destruction and abandoned both his duties and Heaven, going into seclusion. He reappears as the main antagonist of Reaper of Souls, now as the Angel of Death (same position he was given in the Sin War Trilogy), where he steals the Black Soulstone as part of his plan to eradicate humanity due to their demonic origins. His first plan to get rid of humanity was to let the Black Soulstone corrupt the Angels and cause them to destroy Sanctuary. He only resorted to open acting after Tyrael unknowingly ruined it. The former leader of the Angiris Council. Becomes the Big Bad Of Diablo III's first expansion pack, Reaper of Souls. By Reaper of Souls, he's gone so far off the deep end that he believes humanity is on the wrong side of the Eternal Conflict simply because they have demonic heritage, ignoring their equal angelic heritage and the average human's complete ignorance of the Eternal Conflict in the first place. However, he's willing to spare a newly-mortal angel who has been siding with humanity. Back when he was the Archangel of Wisdom, Malthael was benevolent but melancholic and even unnerving to some. He posses a prisoner to get past a barrier Tyrael creates denying non mortals entry to the Black Soulstone's hiding place. It is heavily implied in the prequel novels that one of his motivations is jealously at the Nephalem for defeating Diablo while he did not. In "The Path of Wisdom" lore elements, Malthael reveals that he doesn't think it proper for beings as fleeting as mortals to be able to choose between good and evil. Actually, scratch that—a later entry shows that he deems it proper that nothing be able to choose between good and evil, as is the case with angels and demons. (He isn't Sanctuary's portion of the Great Will, is he?) Subverted then played straight. As the leader of the Angiris Council, Malthael's voice was a powerful one, often enrapturing others with its melody to reinforce the wisdom of his words. However, whenever his demeanor darkened, his voice became dark and foreboding, provoking feelings of angst and even thoughts of death. When he becomes the Angel of Death, this trope is played straight. He is said to have gone mad after the destruction of the Worldstone in the second game. Has the courage to equate humans with demons, but he has no problem consuming the souls of demons to give him more power. In his journals, which chronicle his descent into madness, it turns out that the first thing he noticed about humans is that they have short lifespans. He then concluded that creatures that don't live very long shouldn't have the power to choose between good and evil. He claims that Angels and Demons don't choose between Good and Evil (or rather, shouldn't). And yet, Izual joined Diablo willingly, rendering Malthael's argument invalid. Furthermore, considering that Malthael absorbed Diablo's essence for a power-up during the fight with the Nephalem, it's safe to say that he knew exactly what he was getting himself into, and did so anyway. This is given an attempted Hand Wave in a lore book by an angel saying that angels are fundamentally incapable of being irredeemable, but the argument is flawed as they still chose evil. He was originally this for the Angiris Council. He was the Archangel of Wisdom, who guided the policies of the other four by remaining neutral and considerate of all possible points. He abandoned the role after the events of II. Which makes him even more terrifying than Imperius now that he's evil. Naturally, being the Archangel of Wisdom. He was bound to see all things. He never spoke much and rarely showed any emotions. He was even nicknamed "The Silent Angel". He believes that angels are inherently good, demons are inherently evil, and humans have the free will to choose between the two, a choice they are not worthy of making. By extension, if he, as an angel, decides to commit genocide against humans, it must be a course of action for the greater good of creation. Itherael, Archangel of Fate The Archangel of Fate. He's never seen without the Scroll of Fate on his person. His sword is inscribed with green, glowing runes. He combines it with his Teleport Spam to kill any demon in his presence with ease. His main artifact is the Scroll of Fate, which reveals the possible and, in some cases, the inevitable future to him. Subverted in the end however, as soon as he spots an opportunity to Screw Destiny (via helping the Nephalem) he quickly takes it. "Wrath" emphasizes the precision and skill of his swordsmanship and Teleport Spam, striking where foes will be just before they are. As the Archangel of Fate, he is able to see all possible futures, due to possessing the Scroll of Destiny. He's brought up short when he encounters the Nephalem, who are Immune to Fate, and are able to avert the dark future he sees. The Smart Guy, Was originally this for the Angiris Council's Five-Man Band dynamic. As the Archangel of Fate, he is able to see into the future with his book and guide policy based on a full knowledge of possible consequences. Seems to believe this in the expanded universe. By III, he's changed his tune — as a Nephalem, you are Immune to Fate, and thus the only one able to change the outcome of Diablo's invasion of Heaven in the fourth and final act. Other Angels Inarius The Archangel who was once an adviser to the Angiris Council and became tired with all of the relentless fighting between the two races. He then decided to go cohabitate with demons alongside his angels, creating the world of Sanctuary and the race known as the Nephalem, which would eventually become humanity. His punishment at the hands of Mephisto. His wings are slowly ripped off, his features are stretched out and distorted using small hooks, and he's trapped in a room covered floor to ceiling with mirrors with his eyelids removed so he's forced to stare at his mutilated form for all eternity. Eventually, his misdeeds catch up to him. He betrays much of what his people hold sacred to create what amounts to an "earthly paradise" for himself and a few others using the Worldstone. Notably, they call it "Sanctuary." With the demon queen Lilith, though it doesn't work out once he realizes she intends to use their children as an army to conquer the universe. Before Tyrael becomes one, Inarius was the only Angel who saw that the whole Eternal Conflict is an endless sequence of useless battles and prefers a moment of peace (and preferring that his brothers are not caught up with the fake 'glory' of winning the conflict), thus leading to the creation of the Sanctuary. Unlike Lilith who eventually re-sparked interest to use humanity for the Eternal Conflict, Inarius is more content with letting them grow on their own far from conflict. Izual Izual was once Archangel Tyrael's lieutenant, sent to Hell to battle for the Hellforge. He was eventually corrupted and trapped inside a demon's body by the Prime Evils. In Diablo II, Tyrael asks the player character to free him of his misery, only for Izual to reveal he betrayed the High Heavens on purpose and was the one who advised the Prime Evils on using the Soulstone, initiating their plan to invade Sanctuary. He is later brought back by Diablo in the third opus to disturb Tyrael. He uses ice magic whenever you fight him. To the High Heavens and Sanctuary itself. Was once Tyrael's lieutenant. Now he serves Diablo without hesitation. Not only did Izual fill the Prime Evils in about the Soulstones and how to corrupt them, but he also helped the Prime Evils mastermind their own exile into Sanctuary, breaking the pact made between Heaven and Hell after the Sin War and setting off the events of the games in general. He betrayed the High Heavens of his own accord, not because he was corrupted. Tries this on Tyrael in Diablo III after finding out both of them have become Fallen Angels (though in totally different ways), obviously enjoying the irony of the situation. Hadriel An archangel follower of Tyrael who advises the heroes to not progress further until they smash Mephisto's Soulstone. Supplementary material states he wasn't physically present in hell. Which may explain why he doesn't help you beyond giving advice and why the demons don't attack him. Kasadya One of Malthael's angels. She is the first Death Maiden you encounter in Reaper of Souls, which you have to kill to destroy the Soul Crucible she was creating and establish the Survivors' Enclave. The first thing you see Kasadya doing in Reaper of Souls is ripping the soul out of an innocent woman trying to get away from Westmarch, turning her into a Reaper along with the dead around her. And the very first thing she says? "All with demon blood must die." It sets the tone for the Reapers' mission — and the expansion in general — quite well. Kasadya means "rejoice" in Cebuano (a Filipino dialect). And she rejoices in death. Kasadya is also the name of a fallen angel, one of the "Five Satans" of the Book of Enoch whose deeds resulted in God unleashing the Flood upon Earth. Like other Death Maidens, she creates Reapers out of the dead. And the living, if she catches them. Urzael An angel that greatly admires Malthael. Disgusted and disillusioned by the Angiris Council's decision to spare humanity despite their sins and demonic origin, he defects from Heaven and eagerly joins Malthael's Reapers once he realizes that their goals are alike. Fallen Angel, Though he doesn't consider himself such. At first he might not have the mindset for it, but on being sent to find Malthael, he came across a few evil humans... then came to a conclusion that such is the overall face of humanity and starts supporting his master wholeheartedly. Constantly asserts his and Malthael's superiority over you, even as you're pummeling his face in. Players who're just entering the game from level 60, and decide to play on Torment Mode without taking the time to find upgrades for their equipment, are in for a harsh surprise. The Prime Evils The Prime Evils are the Big Bads of the series and consist of Diablo, the Lord of Terror; Baal, the Lord of Destruction; and Mephisto, the Lord of Hatred. As the strongest of the seven Great Evils, the Prime Evils rule over the Burning Hells in unity. Before the events of the games, the three brothers had been exiled from the Burning Hells by the Lesser Evils and subsequently imprisoned within soulstones by Tyrael and the Horadrim. These soulstones were then hidden in certain locations in Sanctuary. However, unknown to their jailors, the Prime Evils had found a way to take control of the soulstones. When the demons rebelled against them, the Prime Evils killed about a third of them before being driven out. They jointly rule the Burning Hells and seek to destroy the High Heavens and rule Sanctuary. They planned the event of the first two games right from the beginning. Their soulstones follow the RYB color model: red (Diablo), blue (Mephisto) and yellow (Baal). Their magic when they activate the Infernal Gate matches this. They have almost invaded heaven before but did not succeed because they bicker among themselves over who gets what upon victory. All of them got their way out by corrupting people around them, especially Diablo and Mephisto. They're the three most powerful demons, and three of the smartest, too. Diablo used fire, Baal uses ice, and Mephisto uses lightning. Despite varying widely in appearance, all three of them have horns. Diablo pretty much speaks in ALL CAPS and Mephisto comes off as rather grandiose the few times we see him. Baal is the only one not outright Chewing the Scenery, but he manages to pull off Cold Ham instead via sarcasm and mockery. "Diablo" and "Mephisto" are names used for Satan in our world. "Baal" is an alternate name for Beelzebub, which is used in the same capacity. Because they are aspects of the ultimate Evil, the Prime Evils will always return after death. In the games, they do this by possessing mortals; it's not clear how it worked before humans came around. They were all trapped in soulstones, though Baal had to be trapped in a person as well due to his soulstone being damaged. Wherever the Primes go, minor demons appear and the landscape becomes gradually corrupted. Diablo, Lord of Terror DOf the three Prime Evils, Diablo is the youngest brother, however he is also the foremost and the strongest of the three in raw power. However, he should not be taken for a mere brute, for his power belies a most cunning mind. Of the three brothers, Diablo was the one captured last. His soulstone was buried at the bottom of a labyrinth deep beneath Tristram Cathedral. There he was imprisoned for nearly 200 years until the soulstone was found and shattered by Archbishop Lazarus, the closest advisor of the new king of Khanduras, Leoric. Diablo immediately tried to possess King Leoric, but though he failed, the king was left a maddened wreck until he was eventually slain. Having failed to possess King Leoric, Archbishop Lazarus offered up the king's youngest son, Prince Albrecht, as a host. A shattered piece of the soulstone was jammed into the young prince's head, allowing Diablo to take over. Aidan, a warrior of great prowess and King Leoric's eldest son. However, this would be far from the last heard of Diablo, for Aidan jammed the soulstone into his own head, believing his will strong enough to contain the Lord of Terror. Alas, he failed and Diablo took over his body and in the company of Marius, he set out east to free Baal and reunite with Mephisto, before he headed back into Hell to reclaim his dominion over it. The heroes of the second game managed to defeat him however and his soulstone was shattered, seemingly putting Diablo to rest forever. Except, it proved not to be the case. Implied, especially in Diablo III where he gains the power of all the other evils and becomes the Prime Evil. As long is evil still exists in the universe, he will find a way back. Did this on the prince and later on the hero of the first game. And then to Leah after her mom used the Black Soulstone on her. An awful lot of things, over a very long time period, had to go right for his overall plan to come to fruition. He is the tallest and the strongest of the Prime Evils. That doesn't prevent him from being a skilled Magnificent Bastard with an Evil Plan since the beginning of the saga. As shown by a discarded Journel in Reaper of Souls he even figured out the purpose of the stolen Worldstone and begun making plans to corrupt the Nephalem as soon as possible. The most traditionally "demonic" of the three Prime Evils. Declares this in Diablo III to break the will of the High Heavens for good, after absorbing all six other demon lords into himself. Diablo has been killed, imprisioned and banished multiple times with a few supposed to be "permanent." He keeps returning. Not on the scale of Belial, but he has his moments. In Diablo III, he proceeds to do a massive Mind Rape on the playable characters and Tyrael while they ascend to him by sending Izual and demons impersonating the ghost of people they knew and met in order to break their confidence, each demons using an aspect of the Demon Lords (the Terror's demon impersonated Leah and mocked the playable character for helping Diablo become the Prime Evil; the Destruction's Demon impersonated Marius and tried to put Tyrael in guilt for abandoning him; Demon of Lies impersonated Haedrig's wife Mira and blamed the PC for her death; the demon of Anguish impersonated Maghda and blamed him/her for Belial's death; Demon of Sin impersonated Rumford and tried to convince him/her he/she was only motivated by greed and blood lust; and the list goes on). Upon being resurrected in Leah's body in III, he has four arms instead of two like in the previous games. The other Prime Evils are named after demons, monsters, spirits and gods from various religions and mythologies. He's named after...the Spanish word for devil. His domain; because he is Lord of Terror, he fears nothing (aside from his own appearance as shown in the Sin War trilogy), which is why Deckard Cain considers him the most dangerous of the Seven Evils. Once he reached Mephisto, he broke away from the Dark Wanderer's body and left him to die, having no more uses for him. Strangely, however, in III, he actually spared Adria, after her services of bringing him back via Leah, and tells her to retreat until her services are needed again, implying that if the Nephalem did not kill her in Act V, Diablo might have other uses for her. Baal, Lord of Destruction The Lord of Destruction. Unlike his brothers, Baal's Soulstone was damaged when the Horadrim managed to capture him, leaving them unable to trap him the conventional way. As a result, a powerful Horadrim Mage named Tal'Rasha volunteered to complete the Broken Soulstone, using his own body as a container to keep the Lord of Destruction sealed. For additional precaution, he was willingly placed in a sealed tomb, and the Horadrim built several fake ones. In Diablo II, the first thing Diablo does (after taking over his host and leaving Tristram) is head for the city of Lut Gholein to look for the Tomb of Tal'Rasha and free his brother, at which he succeeds. Baal manages to escape after the defeat of his two brothers, and serves as the Big Bad for the Expanson set, Lord of Destruction. Being the Lord of Destruction, he's the only of the three Prime Evils to rule of a physical concept rather then emotional. Deckard Cain describes him in his journal as the most unstable and aggressive of the three. The most physically powerful pre-Diablo turning into Tathamet and reckless of the Great Evils. Notice his attitude towards Marius and his "negotiation" with the Barbarian messenger. It's downright creepy. He's able to trick Marius twice into helping him. He can create duplicates of himself during his boss fight. These duplicates have the same attacks as him, but way less HP, fortunately. After being defied by the barbarians, he messily disposes of the one he is negotiating in with, having determined that the terms were not acceptable. His lower body is very spidery, as are a number of his extra limbs. Mephisto, Lord of Hatred The Lord of Hatred, and the eldest brother of the Prime Evils. He was the one who actually started the events of the series, since his corruption of the Zakarum church, from which Archbishop Lazarus was a member, meant the latter decided to go to Khanduras and free Diablo from his imprisonment, thus setting in motion the events of Diablo. According to information you get from both Deckard Cain and on the various sites, he was the smartest of the Prime Evils. Not that it prevented him from being Out-Gambitted by Diablo eventually. During the fight he repeatedly brags about how You Are Too Late and how "my brothers have escaped you". If you are lucky or time your attack just right, you can kill him before he gets the entire phrase out. In Diablo II. It's later revealed in the discarded journals in Reaper of Souls that it's a result of not having fully twisted his host into his true form. When in his actual true form he sounds like a demonic old man. Despite being the oldest of the three he is actually the easiest in terms of game stats. This could be due to him still technically imprisoned when you fight him. He was the elder of the Prime Evils and the closest thing they had to one. Both his design when possessing a host and the official arts of his true form portray him as leaner than his two brothers. He becomes the de facto leader of the Zakarum religion. The Mentor To Belial, according to Tyrael. The Power of Hate is His domain. His journal in Reaper of Souls indicate he felt this way toward his minions:"Cursed am I to lead an army of the blind." According to lore, Mephisto is the speculated to be weakest amongst the three. However he is a de facto leader and sort of a unifier due to his brilliant intelligence and strategic skills. Pretty much entire plan that lead to the plot in the first and second installment of the trilogy was organized by him. The Lesser Evils The lower-ranking four lieutenants of the three Prime Evils, consisting in Andariel Maiden of Anguish, Duriel Lord of Pain, Belial Lord of Lies and Azmodan Lord of Sins. They started out as their lieutnants, but, after a Enemy Civil War inside the Burning Hells, they overthrown the three and exiled them to Earth, leading to the events of the game. They come back in Diablo II, where Andariel and Duriel joins forces with the Prime Evils again, then in Diablo III, where Belial and Azmodan both come in an attempt to seize control after the Prime Evils' apparent death. While inferior to the Prime Evils, they still are the next stronger beings in Hell. Enemy Civil War: Their revolt against the Prime Evils mentioned in the backstory of Diablo. Andariel, Maiden of Anguish The Maiden of Anguish, and the only one amongst the Seven Demonlords to be female. Though she took part in the rebellion against the Prime Evils, she eventually grew tired of the quarrels between her brothers, and ended up trying to reconcile with the Prime Evils. In Diablo II, she sides with Diablo, taking over the Rogue Monastery and blocking the road to Orient so nobody will be able to follow him. She has four scorpion stings on her back, arranged like spider legs. That must be where her poison comes from. To the Rogues at the Monastery, transforming the living into her brainwashed, mad servants and the dead into her tools. Deep red hair, as per her portrait. It is mentioned in the story that the Succubi are her handmaidens, and she herself does have the look. Mind Rape, Andariel's schitck as the Maiden of Anguish. Growing from her shoulders. Andariel is the final boss of the first act in Diablo II, and the first major political force of Hell destroyed. Her "bra" such as it is, is basically just two pasties attached by a chain. Duriel, Lord of Pain The Lord of Pain, and Andariel's twin brother. Diablo I's manual, to be precise. His origin and the fact he is a Demon Lord are only mentioned in the manual of Diablo I, Cain's Journal in Diablo III, and official sites. No mention of him is made in Diablo II where he is a boss. Really, how else do you describe a demon that looks like him? The only one amongst the Seven Great Evils to not get any sort of Character Development, Evil Plan or even part in the story; he only shows up as the guardian of Tal Rasha's tomb with no explanation inside the game, and the only reason he is so memorable is because of how incredibly hard he is to defeat. In fact, you don't even know he was one of the Lesser Evils if you didn't check on the internet, read the manual of Diablo I, or read Cain's Journal in Diablo III. Some of the lore surrounding Duriel suggests that if unable to find a victim to torture, he will wound himself to sate his own desire for pain. When backed up by his freezing aura and ludicrous speed, his frighteningly high attack power will make most players sad pandas indeed. It backfires satisfyingly however, when pitted against a Paladin with Thorns or a Necromancer with Iron Maiden, both which reflect physical damage. Keep in mind, however, that Duriel probably is strong enough to take down even those characters with those skills before the backfire can kill him. According to one of the loading screens in III, the screams of pain of other beings is a symphony to Duriel's ears. Duriel has a very Zerg-like appearance, looking like a cross between the iconic Hydralisk/Lurker and an Ultralisk, with the former's basic shape and the latter's size and strength. His schtick being physical pain to match with Andariel's mental anguish. He's a nasty surprise to the player, seeing as nearly everything leading up to him has been a breeze. Belial, Lord of Lies The Lord of Lies. A pupil of Mephisto, Belial is known to not feel comfortable on the battlefield, instead relying on tricks and lies to get to his ends. In Diablo III, he and Azmodan attempts to seize control of Sanctuary, taking advantage on the Prime Evils' apparent deaths. Belial manages to take over the city of Caldeum, impersonating the young Emperor Hakan without anyone even noticing. He serves as the main villain in the second act, as well as The Man Behind the Man to Maghda. He starts out as a relatively small being for a demon lord, but once he goes One-Winged Angel, he becomes gigantic. Possibly subverted though, given that the damages to the throne room is undone when he's defeated; add in his title as 'The Lord of Lies', and it's more than like that it's all just an illusion. He has absolutely zero faith in Maghda and constantly reminds her of that, and frequently threatens his minions with eternal torture if they fail him. Some of the lore surrounding Belial suggests that his extreme arrogance stems from the fact that he's such a good liar, he has even convinced himself that he's the most powerful demon in existence. His shtick as he himself is the embodiment of lies. When you first meet him in Act II he's pretending to be the Child Emperor of the city you're in, stringing you along until the end when he reveals his true form. How Azmodan sees him, since he despises his tendencies to hide behind disguises and tricks. The Barbarian is hinted to see him as this as well. A skilled manipulator and schemer, but also one of the most difficult bosses in the game. Once the Black Soulstone is in the protagonists' hands, he floods Caldeum with fire and snakes in retaliation. Leah suggests moving everyone into the sewers to minimize the casualties. Just like Diablo, there's a reason he's referred as the "Lord of Lies". He took control of all Caldeum through mere manipulation, without anyone in the town noticing. While possessing/impersonating Emperor Hakan in the second act, he wears an oddly shaped and ornate hat which mimics the horns of his true form. Not as much as Azmodan, but still has shades of it. Fittingly enough, his favorite minions are snake demons. Uses this tactic against the Iron Wolves, sending them on pointless and dangerous missions in the desert then replacing those who do not return with his demonic agents disguised as humans. He also uses Magdha as bait in a trap for the Nephalem to punish her for her failures, not caring whether she lives or dies. While the Skeleton King and the Butcher could be defeated without much in the way of skill-switching, Belial is where you really have to start thinking about your moveset, and how it relates to fighting one strong opponent. Also, he has several attacks that force the player to stop attacking and move to avoid taking fatal damage. Azmodan, Lord of Sin The Lord of Sin. Azmodan is famous to be one of the greatest General in Hell, having won several battles against Angels by the past (not that we get to see any of his strategic prowess). In Diablo III, he and Belial try to take over Sanctuary following the Prime Evils' apparent death. After learning the Black Soulstone's existance, he unleashes his legion in an attempt to get his hand on it, so he could absorb it and become the Prime Evil. The enormously fat surviving ruler of Hell in Act III of Diablo III. This guy does not tolerate failure and even threaten his minions with horrifying punishments if they fail him. He is trying hard to be the Big Bad, but he just lacks the competence for that. Plus, Diablo out-gambits him. Towards the Nephalem, describing them as "misbegotten" and their existence as "Creation's greatest sin". As a direct result of representing every sort of human evil, including gluttony and cruelty. The best general in Hell, according to the backstory. Observing how effectively the flying angels fought, he bred a race of flying demons to match their aerial mobility. During the siege of Bastion's Keep, he manages to get Ghom into the Keep and has him set up shop in the larder, from where Ghom is able to ambush the keep's defenders from inside their own walls and fight the Nephalem in an area where Ghom holds the advantage. His only real mistake is in explaining his plan to send his armies from Arreat Crater while taunting Diablo - an admittedly major mistake, since Leah witnesses the taunting firsthand through her connection to Diablo and the Black Soulstone, which allows the Nephalem and their allies to make it to Bastion's Keep in time to thwart Azmodan's plans. He believes that all beings can only know their true selves when they indulge in sin to its most disgusting excesses. His weight suggests he eats a lot, and he is mentioned in the Book of Cain to be "close" all his female lieutenants, with Cydaea being his favourite. He takes it to such extreme that Lyndon is shocked enough to consider giving up his depraved lifestyle just so Azmodan won't think he is encouraging him. Has a bad habit of doing this to your character by using illusions to contact them and mock their effort to protect the dungeon. Unfortunately for him, those tauntings usually just end up making him look more pathetic, and he even ends up telling you his own plans in the process, thus helping you. And then there's the actual fight... Like Belial, the one trait he's best known for — being an "uncanny tactician" (they probably meant "canny"). He has a moment or two, but doesn't demonstrate quite enough tactical acumen to live up to his reputation, especially given his penchant for monologuing at you about what he's up to.A bit downplayed if you look at what his forces do in the battle. Using airborne mooks to remove archers on high perches with ambush tactics, siege weapons in scattered locations to make cataplut fire more difficult, and even using some demons as living siege towers. Really, if it were not for his pride and gloating, he may have done much better. Pride truly does come before the fall. A lot of his brillant strategies would have worked a lot better had he not be nice enough to warn you about them in his tauntings. Then again, he's the Lord of Sin; Pride goeth before the fall, after all. He has seven lieutenants, each representing one of these. The only ones who make appearances are Ghom (gluttony), Cydaea (lust) and Vidian (envy). The Lord of Wrath is named Zaboul according to an item description, but he doesn't appear in-game. Azmodan's existence was revealed back in the original Diablo, but his form from the third game (an obese, horned fanged creature that's humanoid from the waist up and multipede down, and with flaming eyes and a Throat Light) heavily resembled Mannoroth, another demonic lord. Given how he is the embodiment of sin, including pride, he is utterly prone to boasting, more so than Belial. Unsurprisingly, he gets mounted on the nephalem's wall in the end. He is attempting to find and take the Black Soulstone so that he can embed it in his flesh and use the power of all Seven Great Evils combined so he can become the Prime Evil. Diablo has the same goal in mind, only he is a lot more successful in this than Azmodan, thanks largely to his agent, Adria, being a Manipulative Bastard. The irony is, Azmodan after Belial's death basically is the Prime Evil, minus the commensurate power boost; he's the only surviving Great Evil, and so would rule Hell by default if he just stayed there. The only reason Diablo's plan works at all is because Azmodan succumbs to yet another one of the seven sins: Greed. Said to be one of the finest tacticians in Hell, honing his skills through centuries of constant battles with the angels. The extent of his strategy against Bastion Keep. Whenever you deal with one of his heavy hitters like the ballistae or Ghom, he shows up and basically says "Well, that guy didn't matter, we'll still overrun the keep through sheer numbers." Sin Lords Seven of them, to Azmodan, though only three of them appear in the game itself. Ghom is Gluttony, Cydaea is Lust, Vidian is Envy, and Zaboul is Wrath. Ghom, Lord of Gluttony One of Azmodan's lieutenants. Known for his insatiable, disgusting appetite and cannibalistic tendencies. In the game, Ghom is sent by Azmodan inside Bastion's Keep in order to attack it from the inside. He made the food reserve his hideout, and started taking prisoners in order to consume them. He is eventually killed off by the Nephalem. Probably one of the rare example to bring this trope to terrifying levels. According to Deckard Cain, he once ate several angels while they were still wearing their armor and weapons. Takes it to its worst possible extreme; he forces his prisoners to eat their comrades, and then eats them. Four, to be precise. One on his head, one on each of his shoulders, and an enormous Belly Mouth across his torso. Cydaea, Maiden of Lust Azmodan's favorite lieutenant and former concubine, and the leader of the Succubi presumably after Andariel's death. You fight her as you penetrate into Azmodan's realm to destroy the Sin Hearts powering his invasion. Many of her quotes revolve around a desire to humiliate and break the will of the Nephalem. She screams in pleasure at some of your hits, and seems to fantasize about what she is going to do to you. No matter what gender your character is, she will display a disturbing, twisted infatuation with him/her. She even creeps out Lyndon! Big time. She even uses Succubi as her minions (and calls them her daughters). She enjoys torturing the demons that are eternally imprisoned in the Towers of Sin, describing their screams as "such sweet music". She has the body of a woman but the legs of a spider. Deckard Cain describes her as both beautiful and grotesque. As her title implies, she tempts mortals (no matter their gender or sexuality) into her web with her sweet voice before devouring them alive. Cydaea drops her playful demeanor hard near the end of your second battle. Vidian, Lord of Envy One of Azmodan's lesser lieutenants, Vidian had a shining talent for sowing discord among the angels, but seldom obeyed the will of his master. After the fall of Azmodan and Diablo, Vidian took up residence in the Shrouded Moors, where he heads a cult that preys on adventurers and seeks to sacrifice the newly-emergent Nephalem. You fight him in the Temple of the Firstborn in Adventure Mode. It's strongly implied he was leading the new cult solely to attract the Nephalems attention and viewed them as disposable otherwise. Not only killing them in his human guise as Daivin alongside the Nephalem, but also set it up so that the only way to go deeper into the Temple was by killing numerous cultists to have their blood open the way. Vidian is capable of decimating entire armies through his ability to turn foes against one another, but he rarely took part in the Eternal Conflict unless the situation interested him. He doesn't understand why the Nephalem would serve a fallen angel like Tyrael when they could rule over the Hells with their power. Vidian is able to turn armies of angels against themselves and make even the most loyal soldiers question their superior's orders through his mastery of Envy. Fortunately for the angels, he was rarely deployed in the Eternal Conflict due to his dislike of following Azmodan's instructions. "Vidian" is derived from invidia, the Latin word for "envy". Invoked. Vidian knew his human guise as Daivin would not fool the Nephalem. Despite this he is actually able to pass off as a normal human in that form. The evil cult that Vidian heads seems intent on harnessing the power of Nephalem blood to their own ends. He is personally interested in the Nephalem's blood over all. He becomes obsessed with the playable Nephalem upon realizing they were the ones who defeated the two strongest forces amongst the angels and demons. Vidian even believes the Nephalem could take over the Burning Hells and rule them as they wish. He believes the Nephalem are powerful enough to subjugate all of Hell to their will, and mocks them for choosing to be the lackey of a Fallen Angel instead. Zaboul, Lord of Wrath He forged the axe Burst of Wrath, and slaughtered over 1000 demons during its creation. Does not appear in the game itself, and the only mention of him is in the description of the above-mentioned axe, Burst of Wrath. Other Demons The Butcher A bloated and grotesque creature, The Butcher is a sadistic being that relished in the torture and pain of others. It hunts endlessly for fresh meat, and was responsible for various massacres on the raids of Tristam Cathedral. In Diablo III, it is learned that there are multiple Butchers, one of whom engages the Nephalem at the end of Act I. The description of the Butcher in III suggests that it was stitched together from the corpses of other demons. Frequently preys on the people of Tristram and collects their mutilated corpses. This guy is found in the second level of Tristram Cathedral, and low-level characters, particularly melee fighters, are not going to have a good time with him. Especially since for the unprepared, he can easily surprise them with his appearance in what was supposed to be an exploration. Lilith The daughter of Mephisto. Her affair with the Archangel Inarius would lead to the creation of Sanctuary and the Nephalem. Daddy's Little Villain, Used to be this to Mephisto before leaving with Inarius. Her reason for joining with Inarius; She felt the Endless Conflict would never be able to end the way her father was pursuing it, and was looking for another way to solve it. Rakanoth, Lord of Despair He was once a lieutenant of Andariel, granted the title of Lord of Despair. He presided over the Plains of Despair, serving as a warden and keeper of prisoners, such as Izual. After Andariel's death in Diablo II, Rakanoth shifted his allegiance to Diablo when the latter became the Prime Evil (thus becoming the new Lord of Anguish) and assaulted the High Heavens. During Diablo's assault, Rakanoth was summoned to imprison Auriel, the Archangel of Hope. This is Rakanoth's job during Diablo's invasion of Heaven, which he does by capturing Auriel. He succeeds in driving pretty much everyone in both Heaven and Sanctuary to despair before the Nephalem kills him and releases her. Dirgest An infamous demon lord personally responsible for the slaughter of millions. Long ago, he was subdued and sealed within a gem that came to be known as Dirgest's Gem. Covetous Shen has made it his mission to locate Dirgest's Gem before it falls into the wrong hands. Shen makes it clear that his release would be nothing short of catastrophic. He has already escaped the Gem by the time Shen and the Nephalem find it. Gharbad the Weak A Goatman that will beg for mercy in Diablo I, promising to make something special for the hero if his life is spared. He reappears on Diablo III as Gharbad the Strong, Baleful Impaler. Greed, Baroness of the Treasure Realm The Demon Lord who rules the Treasure Goblins and is the de facto ruler of the Treasure Realm. Apparently not one of the Sin Lords, her existence is a mystery all on its own. She's the boss of the first major patch of Reaper of Souls. The de facto leader of the Treasure Goblins will face the Nephalem head-on when they come to plunder her treasure hoard. It's in her title. Definitely of the Rosa Klebb variety. A preview image shows that she wears layered armlets and necklaces, along with a nice-looking cape, into her battle with the Nephalem. A preview image shows her wielding a massive war mace in her boss battle. Obviously, considering her name. According to the lead writer, Brian Kindregan, "Greed is obsessed with all things valuable" to the point that she "takes a bath in all her gold every three hours." Scrooge McDuck himself would be proud! Being ruler of a treasure realm, it goes without saying that the Baroness is incredibly wealthy.